Civil society welcomes ratification of convention on rights of persons with disability                                                      

By Simon Deng                                                              

Civil society activists have commended the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) for recently ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adding that it will end discrimination of persons living disabilities.

Samuel Chor, the National Coordinator for Child Rights Civil society Coalition said on Wednesday during workshop in Juba, that prior to the ratification of the Convention there had been no law within the statute books to protect persons living with disabilities against discrimination.

He said that the workshop was organized to sensitize persons with disabilities on the content of the UN Convention, and also to understand the steps the government has taken towards the implementation of the Convention.    

 Nyariath Thuc, the Representative of Empowering Women and Girls, said most employers in the country have been excluding persons living with disabilities from gaining employment.

“We have to give a chance of employment to disabled people, the government and organizations need to consider in every program they are running,” Thuc said.       

 Laku Bonaparte Pacinte, Education and Child Protection Officer for South Sudan Union of Persons with Disability, said lack of access to employment remains challenging to persons with disability.                             

“We hope the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability will tackle every challenge, punish violations,” Pacinte said.